REMARKABLE pictures show the moment a wild dolphin emerged from the water and posed for tourists standing just 10 metres away.
The playful bottlenose dolphin sat upright for several seconds and stared back at the 50-strong crowd which had gathered to watch at Chanonry Point, Ross and Cromarty last week.
While dolphin sightings are relatively common in the Moray Firth, the animals are usual a considerable distance from the shore.
But keen amateur photographer Lesley Garven said the group she caught on camera were only around 30ft away – and played for around two hours.
Lesley, from Auchinleck, East Ayrshire, was delighted to capture the stand-off.
The 37-year old said: “They were all amazed. When the dolphins breach it’s amazing to watch. You appreciate how powerful and graceful they are.
“It’s also not something people expect to see in Scotland. They think you have to go abroad to see such displays.”
The staff nurse, who was on a well-earned few days off with her pet Beagle, Poppy. said: “It’s incredible to see them up close. I’ve been going for around five years now and the thrill never leaves.
“It just makes you want to come back.”
Chanonry Point is famed for dolphin sightings, with summer being the best time to see them as they chase salmon in the Moray Firth.
